


Where Our Worlds Meet

by Luxis, Zombu7



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A ton of irony because Harry is oblivious, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Discord - Freeform, Fanfiction Writers AU, Ficwriter Harry, Ficwriter Tom, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Irony, Kudosed Bookmarked Subscribed AU, M/M, Meta, fanfiction about fanfiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2020-09-28 17:04:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20429423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxis/pseuds/Luxis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombu7/pseuds/Zombu7
Summary: Harry enjoys writing fanfiction and spending time with his roommate, Tom Riddle. Coming in for a close second are his conversations with ficwriter friend Lord_Voldemort_.Lately, Voldemort has been chatting often about his roommate— someone the man is obviously attracted to. It's a miracle that the object of Lord_Voldemort_'s affections hasn't caught on yet; Hermione may have always insisted that Harry was oblivious, but at leasthewasn't as clueless as Voldemort's crush.Or: They Were Roommates, Fanfiction Writer's Edition. Inspired by Kudosed, Bookmarked, Subscribed.





	1. Two Bros

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maquira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maquira/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Kudosed, Bookmarked, Subscribed](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18232334) by [maquira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maquira/pseuds/maquira). 

> Happy birthday maquira! You're probably the most amazing, talented, funny person I've met. It's crazy to think that we've only known each other for less than half a year, but hey! We talk to each other so often (practically nonstop) and we out here twinning in every way possible. So, I suppose it's only to be expected that we're sisters separated at birth lmaoooo. Anyways, this fic is for you and it's based on us!! Our Writer's Trades, exercises, mutual betaship, brainstorm convos and rants about real life all served as sources of inspiration for this tomarry crackheadery. Alsoooo those accidental roleplays we did in our dms? That's where I'm drawing from when it comes to some aspects of their characterization. 
> 
> Okay, enough of this mushy affection. We're Big Girls That Don't Cry (more like _you're_ the big girl, missy). Congrats on being one year closer to the drinking age!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is a collab between me and the awesome, prolific Zombu! You can find them on tumblr as [Zombu7](https://zombu7.tumblr.com/)! 
> 
> Beta'd by Wolven_Spirits! Thank you for helping make this as good of a gift as it can be! For obv reasons, I can't have maquira beta for me for once hahaha

**Cover Art**

Harry was never one for making smart decisions. ‘Impulsive’ was practically his middle name, sanity be damned. 

So, it was no surprise that he found himself very much awake at four in the morning. 

Harry grinned as he stared wide-eyed at his phone screen, fist clenched in mouth to stifle an undignified scream because _ oh gods above, _ the fanfic he was reading had reached a _ very _exciting climax. 

The story in question was written by Harry's favorite author—Lord_Voldemort_. The man was a revered James/Marvolo author, capable of capturing a variety of genres and tropes like no other. Harry had obsessively read and reread all of Lord_Voldemort’s fics and knew that better than anyone else.

As a fanfiction writer himself, Harry could truly recognize and worship Lord_Voldemort_'s unparalleled knack for imagery and his nuanced characterization of James and Marvolo. In the Slytherin Wins AU that Harry was reading, Lord_Voldemort_'s writing was at its best. For the sake of Harry’s cranky roommate, Tom, he had to quell a fanboy shriek of delight more than once during this chapter. Lord_Voldemort_ was just _ that _ good.

_ Was James going to break out of captivity? Would Lord Slytherin finally kill James for his transgressions? _

Harry was breathless with anticipation. 

He finished the chapter in an embarrassingly short time before rushing to the comments section to see what other readers were saying. Predictably, they were appreciatively agonizing over the cliffhanger, and some had taken to writing thorough, essay-like comments to express their admiration. As always, Harry typed out a lengthy, emphatic rant of his own, stopping only once he reached the Ao3 character limit. 

_'Hi there, Lord_Voldemort_! It's your favorite lightning_boi, here to shower you with confetti and praise because Damn, this was_ _an absolute _masterpiece_ as always._..' 

Once finished, he closed the browser with a small, satisfied sigh and switched to his Discord app. He paused briefly in the Chamber of Secrets Jarvolo server to skim through what others were saying about Voldemort's latest work —"_ omg that chapter has me D E A D", "holy shit, Marvolo is going to be pissed as hell", "choke me please, daddy Slytherin" _— before moving on to scroll through his DMs. His eyes scanned the screen hastily, searching for a specific name. 

There were 21 unread messages, but most of them were from his Chamber of Secrets friends. HeadGirl, RoonilWazlib, ChoAegyo, Gred and Forge... the usual. He scrolled down until he saw the DM thread he was looking for. 

Lord_Voldemort_ 

That's right. Harry was Discord friends with his favorite author. Even now, months after he’d become acquainted with Lord_Voldemort_, he still got ridiculously happy inside about it.

The friendship had been an unexpected happening— Harry had been part of LV's secret Discord server for some while under the alias of Hadrian_Evans. One day, dared by Chamber of Secrets friend, RoonilWazlib, Harry had DM'd Voldemort.

Harry hadn't expected LV to actually reply. He still didn’t know whether it was out of boredom or curiosity, but either way, Lord_Voldemort_ had messaged him back. Needless to say, he’d actually screamed aloud when he had seen that LV replied.

They had struck up an unexpectedly strong friendship, largely due to the way their personalities balanced each other out. Where Harry was emotive and excited, Voldemort was reserved and thoughtful. Even Harry's pun-prone, cracky sense of humor was nicely matched by Voldemort's dry wit and reluctant amusement. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Ok I know you're probably asleep by now, but I just wanted to drop by and say that the latest chapter of _ Succumb _is so. good. 

**>> lightning_boi:** It's getting late so I'll avoid spamming you with a kind-of repeat of my comment on the chapter but 

**>> lightning_boi: ** Let me just say that you really outdid yourself this chapter. Oh my _ lord _ , I was honestly at the edge of my seat reading this. I mean, I was at the edge of my _ bed _, but that’s a technicality.

Harry was about to turn off his phone and go to sleep, but at that moment he saw a little tab pop up from the chatbox. 

_ Lord_Voldemort_ is typing... _

Suddenly, Harry was _ wide _ awake. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Good morning. It's absolutely wonderful to see you awake at 4 am. 

**>> lightning_boi: **Omg hi!!! I didn't think you'd still be awake! 

**>>Lord_Voldemort_: **Neither did I. My roommate kept thrashing around all night, and I'm too much of a light sleeper to deal with that sort of ruckus in the background. 

Harry grinned a little to himself. Lord_Voldemort_ had complained about his roommate numerous times to Harry –_ He's always on his phone, his hair is perpetually messy, I can't stand his inexhaustible cheer, I've never met anyone so unable to take care of himself, do you know how many times I've had to tuck him in because he's kicked his blankets off in his sleep? _

Tuck-ins, _ really _ ? Even Harry could hear the fondness in Lord_Voldemort_'s numerous, exasperated complaints. He couldn't believe the man's roommate hadn't caught on yet; Hermione always insisted Harry was oblivious, but at least _ he _wasn't as clueless as the mysterious roommate. 

Truth be told, he always felt somewhat bittersweet when he heard about Lord_Voldemort_'s dormmate. Harry would get this little _ ache _in his chest at the thought of Lord_Voldemort_ spending so much time with someone else. 

He shook his head abruptly to clear his thoughts. _Harry, snap out of it. He's not yours._ _Be grateful he even talks to you_. 

And so he plastered on a cheery smile, never mind the fact that Lord_Voldemort_ wouldn't be able to see his expression anyways. 

**>> lightning_boi**: Ahhh, it's _that_ roommate again. Mmmm, I think we both know _exactly _what you really think of him :lenny: 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **I detest that emote. I don't like what your message is implying, lightning. 

**>> lightning_boi: **I don't hear a denial, my Lord :joy: :lenny: 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **Cease this nonsense at once. If you must know, I merely see my roommate as a bothersome human disaster. 

**>> lightning_boi**: Suuuure 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **I rue the day that you became comfortable enough to forsake proper courtesy and grammar in our conversations. 

Harry nearly snorted aloud at that. Whenever Lord_Voldemort_ spoke like a 1920’s conservative, Harry had a hard time believing that Lord_Voldemort_ was a university student like him. 

**>> lightning_boi: **Lmaooo why do you talk like that 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Like a coherent person, you mean? It's because someone around here has to do it, especially when you resolutely insist upon being such a millennial. 

**>> lightning_boi**: ...aren’t we the same age?? 

**>> lightning_boi:** I've only met one person as stuffy as you, and that's my roommate. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: ** If so, they sound much more manageable than my own roommate. Speaking of which, he was _ laughing _ just now. What sort of crazed child giggles at this hour in the morning? 

**>> lightning_boi**: Your repeated references to the time lead me to believe that you'd like to sleep now, oopsieee 

**>> lightning_boi**: I'll stop distracting you, go get that rest!! Goodmornight and sweet dreams <3 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **You too, lightning. 

Harry turned off his phone and put it aside with a satisfied sigh. He burrowed into the sheets, filled with a happy warmth that always came with his interactions with Lord_Voldemort_. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. 

Of course, if Harry had been a little more attentive to what was happening across the room, he would've noticed that his dormmate, Tom Riddle, had been avidly messaging on Discord too. 

Interesting. 

~~~~~______~~~~~______~~~~~ 

Harry trudged into his 7 am Economics class with darker eyebags and messier hair than usual. His alarm hadn't gone off for some reason, and if it wasn't for Tom irritably shaking him awake exactly fourteen (14) minutes before class started, he would have missed it entirely. 

Tom, that stupidly perfect wanker, looked just fine despite getting up unusually late as well— Harry was able to discern this from Tom’s resentful mutterings on their way to class together. His hair was handsomely coiffed, skin as flawless as ever, and his outfit more stylish than anything Harry could ever manage. Then again, only Tom would ever bother wearing full-on business casual to morning classes. 

"What are you looking at me for?" Came Tom's voice, startling Harry out of his reverie. Tom was staring at him, unimpressed, but there was no real heat to his question. 

"I wasn't. I was, uh, just staring into space," Harry fibbed hastily, although he knew his pinkening cheeks were a dead giveaway. "Who'd want to look at you for fun?" 

Tom glanced at Harry over the rim of his coffee cup. _ Caffè Americano, _Harry thought to himself. He knew Tom too well to not know his classic order. 

"There's no need to get so defensive, Harry," Tom drawled lazily. "Keep this up and I might think you're starstruck by my presence." 

"I'm just being _ truthful _. The world doesn't revolve you, git," Harry stuttered hotly. 

But oh, if only Tom knew how close his teasing was to the truth. Harry had fallen for Tom slowly and quietly over the years. Sharing a dorm and most of their classes for three years straight hadn't made things any better. 

Honestly, who _ wouldn't _ like Tom? The man’s intelligence, looks, attentiveness, endearingly condescending wit and aura of power were all so attractive.

"You're staring again, darling," said Tom amusedly with a slow smirk. At this, Harry actually felt his face turn red. 

_ Darling _? 

This was it. This was how he was going to die. Harry wasn't sure if it would be from Tom's handsome smirk or that term of endearment or Harry's own embarrassment, but his demise was certain. 

Mercifully, their professor arrived a moment later, saving Harry from having to reply. Harry spent the entire class in a mortified daze as he mentally replayed his conversation with Tom over and over. More than once, Tom had to nudge Harry to remind him to take notes. 

Once class was over, Harry practically fled the lecture hall. He couldn't stand being interrogated by Tom as to why he was so spacey today—it was growing increasingly more difficult to hide his attraction to Tom, and he might cave in if Tom questioned him too closely. 

After lunch, Harry ducked inside one of the university library's study rooms. Maybe reading a good fanfic or two during break would clear his mind. 

He pulled out his laptop and clicked on the Ao3 tab, which was practically always open. While he loaded the comments on his latest fic –_ Kudosed, Bookmarked, Subscribed, _a fun, meta piece he'd written about the Jarvolo fandom—he scrolled through unread messages on CoS and some of his private servers with friends. 

_ The Chamber of Secrets: #general _

**>> ChoAegyo: **Omg look at this cool pic I found of me in the mornings: [Gif ID: a bleary rabbit tripping headlong into its bed] 

**>> PseudoRabbit: **Bro now you're finding sleepy rabbit gifs? Next time just @ me when you want to call me out like this 

**>> RedHorse:** Gentle callouts are inevitable. Wait until you see the literal meme drei made of my husband and I. It's pinned in #general. 

**>> Zombuwu: **BUNNY omg I crave bunny content... OOGA BOOGA BUNNY STANS FOLLOW ME 

**>> AngelinaJolie** : We know, zombu. When you aren't craving Harry's _ cake _ :lenny:, you're after bunny fluff... in more ways than one :maniacal: 

**>> FermionCat**: Speaking of which, I found a tired cat gif. That's me when I spend too long coding or writing. [Gif ID: a bunny falling asleep and tipping to the side in its exhaustion] 

**>> Wolven_Spirits**: Change that to a badger and that's my constant mood :badgana: :hufflepuff: :badger: 

**>> Stuffle:** Wolven, keep this up and I'll code stufflebot into adding bananalion reacts to all your messages. :gryffindor: :elmo: :maniacal: 

Harry smiled fondly at the chat. Classic Chamber of Secrets behavior right there—they were all so funny and wholesome. Maybe a little thirsty too (zombu especially), but that was all right. 

He chatted with Hermione (HeadGirl) over DMs for a while. They were childhood friends that had stumbled upon Ao3 and Jarvolo together. Technically, Harry was the one who had insistently recommended the James/Marvolo ship to her until she caved, but now she was as active in the fandom as he was and was a fellow mod on the Chamber of Secrets Server. 

Harry was about to put his phone down and start eating his lunch when his phone pinged. 

_ 1 New Message from Lord_Voldemort_#7171 _

Sandwich forgotten in hand, Harry hastily swiped open his DMs. He would never tire of talking with Lord_Voldemort_. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Good afternoon, lightning. 

**>> lightning_boi: **My Lord!!! 

**>> lightning_boi**: Omg I didn't think you'd be online now! Aren't you busy around this time? 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **Usually, yes. I prefer to remain offline during the day, particularly during lunch. I typically dine with my roommate and his presence can be rather... _consuming. _Hence, I wouldn't be able to talk with him and chat on discord at the same time. 

_ Ah. So it was the roommate again _. 

**>> lightning_boi**: But you're online now? 

**>> lightning_boi: **Also wow, look at you sharing personal details about yourself :joy: that's unusual, isn't it? 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: ** I'm a private person and you know that. And as for why I'm online... _ well _. Something happened and I must ask for your advice. 

Harry felt a jolt of alarm. _ Something happened? _It really was uncharacteristic for Lord_Voldemort_ to be so frank about his roommate, let alone disclose information about his real life. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** As much as it pains me to admit this, you are surprisingly adept at understanding impulsive, infuriating persons such as my dormmate. Perhaps because you are quite brash yourself. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Oi! I'll have you know that I'm quite sensible. Sometimes. 

**>> lightning_boi**: Also, go for it! I'll listen to your manly woes anytime. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort:** ...Glad to hear. I require your assistance with deciphering his recent behavior. He has been acting most peculiarly—spacing out, speaking less, staring at me without realizing it. Today, he didn't even show up for lunch. 

Harry's heart gave a little twinge in sympathy. It sounded like Lord_Voldemort_ really was stumped this time— he could practically hear the man's valiantly-masked disappointment. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Uh I hate to break this to you, but it sounds like he likes you. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **Impossible. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** I find it highly improbable that someone would deliberately avoid the object of their affections. What a nonsensical approach towards romance that would be. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Nonsensical? To you, maybe. But to other people less logical? Less self-assured? It would be the most natural response. 

**>> lightning_boi:** I think that he's 

**>> lightning_boi:** I dunno 

**>> lightning_boi: **I feel like he's into you and doesn't really know how to deal with it. Remember when the roommate got caught scrolling through your instagram? Or when he got all awkward after you got asked out last year? Everything you’ve told me so far adds up. 

There was a long pause from the other end. Had Harry gone too far? Was Lord_Voldemort_ unhappy with Harry's response? 

Just when Harry began to think Lord_Voldemort_ had left, his phone pinged again. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** If what you're saying is true, this would be a most... complex development. Albeit, I'm still not fully convinced of your hypothesis. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Whew I thought you were pissed at me there for a sec. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** I could never be truly angry with you, lightning ;] 

Harry almost had a heart attack when he saw that smirk. _ Good God. _It always managed to make him feel all fluttery inside, soaring and confused and hopeful. Somehow, the man was able to evoke a thousand emotions within Harry with just a few words. 

Lord_Voldemort_ really reminded him of Tom in that aspect. 

**>> lightning_boi:** That smirk emoticon is going to be the death of me one day. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** As it should be. And before I forget—do you have any tips as to how I should approach my roommate about his supposed attraction? 

**>> lightning_boi:** Hm 

**>> lightning_boi**: I don't know about your roommate, but if I were them, I'd be really spooked if you suddenly brought it up. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Maybe just talk to them like you don't know anything and watch their reaction closely? 

**>> lightning_boi:** This might be easier to do over messages, come to think of it. When was the last time you texted them? 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Not that long ago. We keep in touch over messages when we aren't physically together. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Aww that's so sweet omg!! Yeah for sure text them right now. It won't be too out-of-the-blue that way. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **What should I say to them? 

**>> lightning_boi:** Idk, maybe ask them if they want to talk, but don't phrase it in a super serious way or they'll get paranoid. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** I planned to ask them out to lunch. Would that be sufficiently informal? 

**>> lightning_boi: **Oooh yeah that defo works!! 

**>> Lord_Voldemort:** Thank you for the advice, even if I'm not entirely certain that your interpretation of events is correct. 

**>> lightning_boi**: Cautious as ever, eh? And aww no prob! Glad to help anytime. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** I'm going offline now to text them. Talk to you later, lightning. 

**>> lightning_boi: **Ttyl too! And yessss go get 'em, tiger! 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** I will ;] 

_ Lord_Voldemort_ has disconnected. _

Harry put down his phone with a sigh. He was strangely... _ conflicted _over the budding romance he'd witnessed in Lord_Voldemort_'s life. 

It wasn't that he was jealous or, heaven forbid, attracted to the amazing, thoughtful, talented and god-tier writer. No, not at all. Nope. Not a chance. 

Maybe he was troubled since he was effectively a third-wheeler now? Harry chuckled to himself a little. _ Look at you, Harry. Don't be silly; hurry up and get yourself together. _

Before Harry could start reciting his Happy Thoughts, his phone dinged, bringing him back to the present. 

_ 2 New Text Messages from TomTom Mcthottie 💀 _

** _TomTom Mcthottie 💀 _ ** **12:31 pm: **I didn't see you at lunch today, Harry. Do you want to go out to eat tomorrow to make up for it? 

** _TomTom Mcthottie 💀 _ ** **12:31 pm:** To be clear, that wasn't really a question. I demand that you atone for your lunch-skipping sins. 

Harry smiled amusedly at that. Classic Tom, acting with his trademark haughtiness. 

** _Harry_ ** ** 12:32 pm:** I'll go only if the meal's on you. 

** _TomTom Mcthottie 💀 _ ** **12:32 pm:** … Deal. 

Harry glanced at the clock and realized with a start that there were only 10 minutes before his next class. He hastily texted Tom goodbye and stuffed his things into his bag. 

He was halfway out the library when a sudden thought struck him. 

_ Huh _. Hadn't Lord_Voldemort_ said he'd message his roommate about getting lunch too...? Harry paused for a second, mulling it over before shrugging and walking off. 

The world sure was full of crazy coincidences sometimes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm he's a dumbass, that's for sure.
> 
> Kudos/comments are very much appreciated! _Please_ show some love for maquira on this special day <3, it would mean so much to me!!


	2. Mistakes were Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back!! totally didn't disappear for like a year. ty to zombu for patiently sticking with my confused ass. and without further ado,
> 
> RECAP OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER:  
Harry is good friends with the elusive Lord_Voldemort_, a famed fanfiction writer in the James Evans fandom. The only person he spends more time with is his uni dormmate, Tom Riddle. Like seriously, Harry talks with LV a _lot_. Which is how he learned during one of their chats that LV's real life roommate might be crushing on him. He advises LV to take his roommate out to get a meal, and at the end of the chapter, Tom also asks him to lunch. Funny how these coincidences happen, eh?

Returning to the dorm was more than a little awkward that night. 

Harry tiptoed in after the clock struck midnight. He had been studying at Ron's dorm, and all right, so _maybe_ he had stayed longer than usual. To Harry’s defense, he had ditched their plans for lunch earlier in a fit of last-minute panic, and he didn’t particularly fancy having to deal with Tom’s ire after that.

He felt a bit silly for childishly avoiding Tom, but it wasn’t like he had any other options. These days, Harry had become more and more aware of Tom’s presence. Because even if Harry’s attraction towards Tom wasn’t anything new, it was like Lord_Voldemort_’s messages about his smitten roommate had awoken something inside Harry— something that changed his quiet longing into potent yearning. Now, whenever he saw Tom, it took all he could to keep his obvious affection from showing on his face. 

Harry may have sorted Gryffindor on Evansmore, but even he knew the importance of tactical retreats. Which is why he _had _to stay away from Tom as much as possible.

Taking care to shut the door quietly, Harry turned around slowly, mentally congratulating himself on a job well done of entering undetected. _Maybe Tom already fell asleep?_

And that was when he ran headlong into something very solid, very muscled, and very Tomlike. 

_Bollocks._

Harry backed up a few steps. Plastering a falsely cheery smile across his face, he dared to glance up at his roommate, and what he saw wasn't very promising. 

Tom looked _incredibly _displeased. 

"Hi?" Harry greeted weakly, itching to just run out the door he came from. "I, uh, I didn't think you'd still be awake." 

Tom glared down at Harry, unimpressed. Emphasis on the _down_ part. Why the universe had given Tom a body as tall and impressive as his ego, Harry would never know.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Tom?" Harry waved a hand before Tom's face, noting uneasily that Tom didn't even blink. He was really in for it this time. "Tom? You all right there?" 

There was a deathly silence as Tom regarded Harry with evident disappointment. Then, 

"You avoid me all day, miss breakfast and dinner, skip our preplanned lunch outing, show up after midnight, and you expect me to be _all right_?" 

Harry winced at Tom's words. He knew Tom well enough to discern the hint of worry in the hard set of Tom's jaw.

"I... I'm sorry," Harry mumbled, unable to look his roommate in the face and see the disappointment all over again. "I didn't mean to upset you. Honest." 

"Oh?” Tom sneered. “Am I to naively believe that your little disappearing act wasn't directed against me, then?" And then, in an afterthought, “For the record, I’m _not _upset.”

_Touche. _Harry belatedly noted that avoiding Tom may have not been the best move. From Tom’s point of view, it probably looked like he didn’t want to be around him anymore. _Was it too late to apologize? Should he explain himself?_

Harry was silent for too long. By the time he opened his mouth to speak, Tom was already turning back to the beds without a second glance. 

Harry's thoughts screeched to a halt, seized by panic and a single determination to _not let Tom walk away. _

"_Wait!_" He cried out, lunging forward to grab Tom's arm without thinking. But at the sight of Tom's taken-aback expression, Harry hastily released him, coloring furiously in embarrassment. 

"Well?" Tom prompted impatiently after Harry spent nearly a minute mentally berating himself.

"Uhm," Harry began eloquently in a terrible attempt to explain himself truthfully. "I... I didn’t avoid you because I was mad or anything. I did it because I _had to. _I can’t really explain it, but trust me on this." 

Tom stared at Harry uncomprehendingly. "I'm sorry, what?" 

Harry really did internally die this time. Maybe it was best to just say as much of the truth as he could. "I just don’t know how to act around you? I mean like, your whole face— ” Here, he gestured helplessly at Tom’s body, “—is just really distracting lately.”

Because that was the truth. Or at least part of it. 

Tom was _always _the very image of perfection. But, Harry’s recent love life conversations with Lord_Voldemort_ made Harry very, very aware of Romance Things.

… Things such as the way Tom’s eyes darkened attractively when he was deep in thought, or how his broad shoulders filled out formal blazers nicely, or the deliciously low pitch of his voice in the mornings.

“Interesting,” Tom spoke at last, inundating each syllable with dry precision. “My… _face_ is the problem here?”

“Nonono, it’s the _opposite _of a problem,” Harry blurted before he could stop himself. He clapped his hands over his mouth after realizing what he’d just said and implied, his eyes widening in horror. “I mean,” he corrected belatedly, “Your face looks fine. Like, you have a, uh, very facelike face with no problems. None at all, no sir. No _opposites_ of a problem either.”

_What the fuck am I saying, shut up, shut up now, stop talking—_

"… I see,” drawled Tom after a painfully drawn-out, awkward pause. "As shocking as this information is, I merely ask that from now on, you don’t run away three times a day. Yes?"

Harry mumbled an affirmative in reply.

“Wonderful. And if you would stop bloody standing there and get back to your bed…” 

Harry didn’t hesitate. 

Today really had been a disaster, hadn't it? 

~~~~~______~~~~~______~~~~~ 

Very little ever fazed Tom. His self-assurance and quick mind were two traits that he was particularly proud of. 

Hence, he was very surprised that he had been at a loss for words when confronted with Harry's blurted confession— “... it’s the _opposite_ of a problem.”

Because _oh yes_, he most definitely had heard the near-inaudible admission. 

Years of being around a person (Harry) who had a tendency to mumble when nervous had ensured that he understood the declaration well. Silly of Harry, really, to expect that Tom's superior auditory comprehension would be stumped by such a small thing. 

And if he was interpreting Harry’s words correctly… 

Tom had received enough blushing confessions to recognize a crush when he saw it. Harry wasn’t exactly subtle about his staring and stammering either. 

Perhaps he should nip Harry’s blossoming attraction in the bud…?

But Tom was rather attached to his endearing, annoying roommate. He was almost a little _curious_ about how Harry would act upon his confused hormonal inclinications. So until Tom knew for certain that Harry felt something more than physical attraction, he wouldn’t act on his suspicions.

There was something about Harry that intrigued Tom. Unbidden, the image of sleep-mussed hair, startlingly green eyes, pink-tinged lips, and rosy skin came to mind. Tom knew exactly how those eyes would darken in defiance, how his cheeks would flush when he got excited, how he'd stumble over his words in excitement, always so lively and inquisitive— 

_Harry, Harry, Harry. _

_Why are you always on my mind?_

Tom sighed and placed his head in hands, rubbing tiredly at his temples. Trust Harry bother him even in memories. 

Perhaps he should consult lightning_boi. The lovable dunce, however annoyingly enthusiastic he was at times, was unexpectedly perceptive at rare moments. 

_You know that's not the only reason why you enjoy his company_, whispered a traitorous voice deep within his psyche. Hadn't he tolerated lightning only because the person reminded him of Harry so much? 

Tom got up from his bed abruptly. Even if he couldn’t walk away from his own thoughts, he could certainly try. 

Tom glanced over across the room. 

There Harry was, curled up in his sheets, morosely typing away at some chatting app or another. He was probably commiserating with his irritating Weasley friend—the friend that Harry had stayed with for hours tonight instead of coming back to their dorm. 

Tom's lip curled in distaste. How dare Harry choose the grubby-nosed ginger over _him_. 

Still glowering, Tom opened his computer to the Ao3 page. While waiting for the site to load, he Alt-Tabbed to Discord. 

_10 New Messages from lightning_boi#1777_

Tom blinked. Ten messages? Whatever happened? He scrolled through what lightning had sent over their DMs. 

It turned out that lightning had just sent a number of incomprehensible, colorfully worded messages of 'fuck', 'oh shit I've fucked up', 'shitshitshit'. Tom grimaced a little in distaste, never one for such undignified language. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** ...Did something absolutely devastating occur? 

**>> lightning_boi:** Oh my god oh shit I'm so stupid so stupid so stupid so tpuidfdsj 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Slow down. What happened? 

**>> lightning_boi:** I think I pissed my friend off. And then I said something I shouldn't have. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** I'm sorry to hear that. 

**>> lightning_boi: **Nonono I don’t think you get it. After I did something Bad for ages, I practically… practically threw myself at him. But like, not really? You get me? a;aljgrl;jlrkgjr;lkg; WHY did I do that, WHY????

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **Frankly, no, I don’t understand. Although, I must ask: why does this incident worry you so badly? It seems like a relatively trivial thing in my eyes; if your friend is as dear as you say, he wouldn’t end your friendship over a verbal blunder.

**>> lightning_boi:** I...I dunno. Today's just been kinda crazy. Also, life is a bitch. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **Tell me about it.

**>> lightning_boi: **lolololol i still think i might’ve just made things awkward between me and my friend but like… can you distract me from thinking about how I fucked up? Lmaoooooa;akl

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Ask and I'll deliver... within reason, of course. Do you have time to do a Writer’s Trade now? 

Writer’s Trades were almost guaranteed to brighten lightning_boi’s mood. Their WTs involved writing for a set duration, and then sharing with each other what they had written once time was up. It was an unofficial rule that they would leave positive comments on the other’s writing every time.

Tom had never been one for shallow flattery, but there was something about lightning's clumsy, excited words that endeared himself greatly to the other. 

**>> lightning_boi:** Oooh yes good idea! Do you want to check in at 1:30? It'll give us an hour or so to write. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_: **Sounds good. Which WIP will you be working on? I think I'll start on the Roommate AU I've been planning. 

**>> lightning_boi:** omg YES!!! Big hype for your writing :eyes:!! I'll spend this WT on KBS. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Kudosed, Bookmarked, Subscribed? Excellent. Like I said, it's the only fluffier fic I'll ever read. I'm off to write now. **| 1 Heart React**

The rest of the night passed pleasantly. Tom may have remained somewhat distracted by his occasional thoughts of Harry, but that was inevitable. Hell, Harry was even his unwitting muse for writing Jams Evans at times — an odd thing that had developed over time as Tom began to see the similarities between Harry and the noble, stubborn, impulsive Evans. 

This connection was entirely platonic though, of course. Two good friends being fond of each other. 

**>> Lord_Voldemort_:** Right, lightning? 

**>> lightning_boi:** Yep. 

~~~~~______~~~~~______~~~~~ 

Harry ended up sleeping at four in the morning. 

The Writer's Trade with Lord_Voldemort_ had gone well as always—the man had provided thought-out words of advice and praise for Harry's _Kudosed, Bookmarked, Subscribed _snippet_._ Harry, in turn, had betaed and gushed over LV’s newest fic, _Dead Before Midnight_. The other man had even promised Harry that he had an upcoming “surprise” for him, and Harry couldn’t wait to find out what it was.

At least the writing and chatting helped distract Harry from last night’s awkward conversation with Tom. Harry could only fervently pray to every higher power that Tom hadn’t picked up on his near-confession. 

By the time Harry went to bed, he was exhausted but considerably less panicky. At least tomorrow was a Saturday— sleeping in was the best feeling in the world. 

He was consequently pissed when Tom shook him awake at the asscrack of dawn. 

“What the _fuck?_” Harry spluttered through the pillow that Tom had slapped onto his face. 

“Get up. Midterms are in a month. There’s a lot of studying to do, no time for lazing around.”

“Lazing around? _Lazing around_? I fell asleep just two hours ago!” Harry stared incredulously at his friend. He was certain his eyebags were visible; couldn’t a man try to catch up on his sleep when he could? 

“Shouldn’t have stayed up so late on your phone, then,” Tom muttered under his breath. Then, more irritably, “Or stayed so late at the ginger’s place.” 

“I—” Harry began indignantly before pausing with a frown. “Wait, how did you know I was on my phone last night?”

“Because I saw you texting happily into wee morning hours, you twit. Who has you grinning at your phone like that? Some new girl?”

Tom’s voice was light, but for the briefest of seconds, Harry thought he saw Tom’s jaw tighten in a displeased way. _Was Tom...jealous?_

“Of course not,” Tom said sharply. Harry blinked, not realizing that he’d said that last thought out loud. “I was merely commenting on your poor time management. Anyways, we have a long day before us. If you get ready within ten minutes, I’ll treat you to breakfast.”

Harry perked up immediately. “Free food? Deal.”

Half an hour later, they were eating pancakes at some prissy, gourmet pancake place. Sometimes Harry forgot that Tom came from old money, although it wasn’t like Tom talked about his family anyways. The one time Harry had offhandedly asked about Tom’s distant, celebrity father, Tom had immediately shut down the conversation with one of the trademarked Tom Riddle Glares that Harry hadn’t seen since they first became friends. 

“... And that’s why I think you need a macroeconomics tutor.”

“Huh?” Harry said around a mouthful of blueberries, having tuned Tom out while staring dreamily at the man’s face. “Er, sorry. I wasn’t really listening.”

Tom shut his eyes and leaned back slowly with a deep sigh. It looked like he was mentally counting to ten. 

“I was saying that you’ll have to find a cram tutor for macroeconomics. It’s imperative that you ace the econ midterms if you still plan on applying for a TA position next year. And while your marks are good, you have to be _exceptional_.”

And just like that, Harry’s food-induced happiness evaporated. He slumped in his seat, his forkful of heavenly soft pancakes forgotten. “You’re right. I guess I should get some outside help, huh? Maybe there’s a nice upperclassman who wouldn’t mind lending a hand.”

Tom eyed Harry for a long moment, as though carefully considering something. 

“You know, I might have time in my schedule to tutor you,” Tom said slowly. “You’d better still pay me, though.” 

“Really? Tom, you’re the best!” Harry sprang up, leaning across the table to pull Tom into a tight hug. He received a pointed flick on the head for the gesture.

“Stop that,” Tom hissed, his sharp cheekbones coloring a little. He shoved Harry off with great effort and prissily righted his collar, which had been knocked askew by the embrace. 

Harry was about to tease Tom for his peevish reaction when his phone dinged, saving Tom from his undoubtedly devastating wit.

_12 New Mentions from the Chamber of Secrets_

Harry gaped at his phone. _What happened? _Had he accidentally deleted a fic while half-asleep? Or had someone at last found out he was friends with Lord_Voldemort_? But no, he had done a good job of keeping their friendship secret.

“Harry? What did we say about excessive phone usage while on outings?” Tom asked, evidently displeased.

“Sorry, I got a few messages that I need to take care of,” Harry answered distractedly without looking up.

_The Chamber of Secrets: #general_

**>> SeanTheSheep: **YOOOOO DID YOU SEE THE NEWEST LORD_VOLDEMORT_ FIC?????

**>> AngelinaBallerina: **yes I did and I love it!!! omg it has so much potential

**>> Chukar Partridge (Chungus): **Really? What’s it about? :eyes:

**>> PossiblyRelatedToMichaelJordan: **it’s a Hanahaki AU with _pure angst,_ babyyy. Delicious, delicious angst

**>> SeanTheSheep: **OK YES BUT DID YOU SEE THE AUTHOR’S NOTE

**>> liz | husben kithing hours: **no jkfjldjkd what does it say??

**>> HeadGirl: **Allow me to quote the exact A/N. 

_“Written for the multi-talented, intelligent, and kind ‘L’— who happens to be weak for angst. This is also betaed by them.”_

**>> zombuwu | will eat james’s ass: **HAHA;KFDL is this a LV bromance??? I didn’t know they had friends :marvolo_sneaky: or that they had a beta. 

**>> eli | spare james’s ass: **BROmance? hey who says it isn’t a ROMANCE?

**>> Awoo | Wolven : **alright but who is L and why haven’t we heard of him before?? 

**>> RoonilWazlib: **@lightning_boi Oi you’re the resident Voldemort expert. Has he ever mentioned ‘L’ in previous fics?

Harry stared at his phone, eyes wide and thoughts racing. 

As far as Harry knew, Lord_Voldemort_ didn’t have any betas other than Harry himself. And he didn’t know if Lord_Voldemort_ had other friends whose names started with an L, aside from the Lestrange duo. However, Voldemort’s description — _multi-talented, intelligent, and kind _— didn’t fit the Lestranges at all. 

_But you already know who Voldemort was talking about, don’t you? _A traitorous voice in Harry’s mind supplied. 

Because as Harry’s incredulity faded into growing amazement, he slowly began to realize that _L referred to him_. 

Harry wanted to hug his phone tight to his chest and dance all around the restaurant. _Voldemort cared about him! _Enough to dedicate an entire fic to Harry. Had he woken up in some alternate universe?

Just as Harry was about to implode with giddiness, someone grasped his shoulder from behind. Harry whipped around, hastily stuffing his phone under the table, only to come face-to-face with Tom. 

Dread pooled in Harry’s stomach. When had Tom made his way over to Harry’s side of the booth? And how long had he been standing there? 

“Harry,” Tom said slowly, his eyes lingering on the spot where Harry’s phone had been moments before. “Who were you messaging?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smash that kudos/comment button to save harry


End file.
